Hi,

I'm considering getting my first Porsche and I think the Turbo is the right car for me. I need a car I can "daily" drive which is about 4-5k miles per year and I need to have rear seats in order to put a baby seat in just in case of emergency since we are going down to 2 cars and my wife drives her Range Rover all the time.

I'm currently on the fence between a 997.1 Turbo and a 997.2 Turbo S. The 997.1 is a great price point for what you get and the Turbo S offers the PDK in the latter years. If I get the 997.1, it would be a manual.

On to my questions;

• I found a Turbo S with a PDK that has most of what I want but has 50k miles. How reliable is the PDK with that many miles? I'd definitely get a read out for overrevs but I haven't read anything on long term PDK issues. I assume the Turbos are reliable cars but correct me if I'm wrong.
• 997.1 or 997.2? Is the price difference worth it? What are the experts thoughts?
• If I go 997.2 is PTV something I should look to get?
• Would you consider the PDK a must for the Turbo since it will keep the turbos spooled easier than a manual?

Thanks in advance!

 

Get an 09 997.1tt , best engine, best PCM.

 

1st big question that comes to mind is if and how heavily are you planning to modify the car?


If you're gonna do simple bolt-ons (exhaust, tune), then the 997.2 is going to be a much more potent package that can better utilize its power via the PDK, while still being a luxury cruiser. The PDK has shown to be nearly bulletproof with the power the 997.2 has been putting down, which is a real testament to the software & clutch TQ capacity. Longboarder can comment on how his bolt-on 997.2 has stacked up against a wide variety of cars, since he recently attended the Shift Sector event.


IF you wanna go mod heavy and built a rocket ship, the 997.1 is the way to go. The motor has shown to be very strong in stock trim, while also being capable of being built to a mid-1k WHP car.

 

I have no intention to mod the car since I rarely keep a car over a year and mods are wasted when selling the car.

 

i would say defiantly go for the 997.2, the pdk is just amazing and you will love it if its your daily...

 

If no performance mods, then 997.2, you will love PDK! shifting in sport mode is amazing and if you race on a traffic light, sports plus will give you insane shifting! Tune and exhaust should do it in case you need a bit more power.

I also prefer the LED tail lights, exhaust tip which match the LED lights, and the head lights look more sharp. I also think 997.1 fog lights don't come as LED, where as the 997.2 come with LED fogs, they look fresh and light up very well.

Good luck

 

Thanks everyone. Sounds like the .2 is the way to go for me. As far as options to look for, I plan to focus on the following. Am I missing any critical options?

• Adaptive Sport Seats
• Sport Chrono
• PCM
• Heated seats (gets cold in Maryland)

What about PTV? One review said it's a must have, others say nothing about it. Thoughts?

Another question: If I find a car with the "button" steering wheel, is it relatively cheap to switch the steering wheel to the 3 spoke?

 

If you're looking at a Turbo S then the Sports Chrono and heated seats are standard. *** is subjective (I opted for it) and PCM, you get the latest in the 997.2 TTS! FWI, PTV is also standard on the TTS, along with dynamic engine mounts (which come with the Sports Chrono package). The only other "major" option you didn't mention was wheels (center lock vs. 5 lug), not sure if you are particular on either...

For the use you described, I would say go with the 997.2 TTS (if possible get it CPO = warranty, given the miles >50K). Regarding the durability of the PDK, some nut reporter did over 60 CONSECUTIVE Launch Controls bursts on a Turbo S (albeit a 991) and the PDK shrugged it off. The PDK should be able to handle all of your DD needs.

Take all of the above with a grain of salt, I am biased to the 997.2 TTS afterall...

 

From what I see in the market it seems the .2 Turbo S is about 30-50k more than the .1 Turbo. Are the PDK and new engine really worth it? I don't mind manual at all.

 

Everyone has their opinions, but imo a manual mezger turbo is as good as it gets. The GT2/GT3 997.2s can be had with a manual and the mezger, if you want a 991 you can only get the mezger block in the cup car and I ghink there is rumors of a GT3RS being avail with a manual.

 

*** is not needed, they do not help you on the track, they arent much better if at all than the sport seats... they are sport seats with side bolsters. And a PIA for some people to get in and out with. Try them both before you "NEED" something
PCM SUCKS you are better off with some POS radio that you can switch to a real one.
Sports chrono can be added later. And you dont get the stupid Timer ont he dash that honestly is one more thing to rattle.
Steering wheel is a problem? You really need to drive one before deciding what you are gonna change or swap

Frankly I read on these boards all i needed and i found that most guys are parroting what others say. I love the tiptronic and think the 6sp is annoying. PDK is cool but for daily driving the tip is perfect for what you are gonna do, unless you race Veyrons.

As tot he Reliablity... using a NEW 991 system to compare the .2 PDK isa bad idea. I guess one could say Porsche decided to switch PDK's after just 2 years of production. Same with the 3.8 engine. The .1 has been around forever and the GT3 in ALMS still uses it. yeah the 991 GT3 uses the Mill from the .1

So I dont think a message board is the place to get your options list and get your opinions as to seats and such

 

true we all have opinions and as a die hard Manual guy I never once have wished for a 6sp.

 

I'm not a die hard Porsche guy yet. This will be my first so the history and lineage don't have the same meaning to me like they do to others. The Mezger from what I hear is bulletproof but I also read how great the PDK is and it seems you can't have both.

The 997 GT3 and RS are bloated in price due to the current 991 GT3 issues. Once they are ironed out the prices will start to drop again. I'm also #2 on the list for the 991 GT3 RS which will most likely replace the Scud.

 

Was the PDK redone for the 991? I could be wrong but it seems the PDK has been available for at least 3-4 years in the 997 Turbo. Also is the engine from the 997.2 Turbo different than the 991 Turbo?

 

How long do you plan to keep the car? If you're looking at a turbo S with 50k miles you'll likely be purchasing one with maximum depriciation at this point. If you're only going to keep the car 12 months I would op for the least expensive turbo that fits your needs - 997.1 or .2. If you're in it for the long haul I would go for the newer model with less miles. Since you're not going to mod, the S with PDK, PCCB, LED and a host of other nice factory options is the way to go.

IMO...a well maintained turbo in any year is a great car. So much value for the money.